All I Want
by destinoscelgo
Summary: A short one shot in which Tyler and Caroline discuss the near future.


**A short requested fic by bloody-mental on tumblr (I don't know if you have an account!) to help tide me over during the hurricane without power (so bare with it, I wrote it by candle light like the olden days lol)  
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**Anyway, this inspired a few more...better one shots for these two, but this was fun to get my foot back into the Forwood door (that I hadn't realized how much I missed writing them!) Enjoy and please review :)  
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**All I Want  
Characters; Tyler and Caroline  
Summary: Tyler and Caroline discuss their near future**

Earmuffs, bright pink gloves lined with faux fur, matched with the best scarf she could pull out of her closet that was striped with a cerulean blue( that she was told brought out the brights in her eyes)-those accessories were a staple in Caroline Forbes' winter wardrobe. As she walked up her driveway with bags weighing down her arms from the long and drawn out morning of holiday shopping, she saw the neighbor bundled up in an eskimo jacket and snow pants.

"Afternoon Caroline!" He called, the shovel scratching on his walk while he scooped the snow from his driveway. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard to her vampire senses and subconsciously she picked up her pace, trying her hardest not to slip on the ice (someone would have to salt that soon) while she waved back to him with a smile. Pretty soon, they would all begin to notice that she wasn't aging. She had maybe a couple of years tops before people began asking questions (those that weren't already familiar with the supernatural inhabitants of Mystic Falls), and that thought sucked, but it was what ran through her mind after she went to sleep each night.

With snow frosting the tips of her blonde strands (since thankfully the flurries had died down), Caroline stomped her feet on the front mat and shoved open her door into the smell of gingerbread and pine, which was a sense too powerful for her nose. She felt like she was walking into the Forbes family version of Winter Wonderland, all the living room needed was the fake snow falling from the ceiling.

"Mom?" she called out, hearing someone bustling around in the kitchen.

"In here!" her mother returned, and Caroline dropped her packages on the floor (gifts for all of her friends) and strode in to see her mother dressed in a black dress shirt and dress pants, only somewhat more dressy than her usual wardrobe.

"Mom, you look like you are ready to go to a funeral not a Christmas party." The blonde stepped next to her mother and placed a falsely reassuring hand on her mother's hunched shoulders.

"Well, I don't exactly own a holiday sweater…that was more your father's thing." She joked as she shuffled with the stove and with a defeated sigh, her daughter helped her pack the brownies so she could send her mother off to the party at the station.  
It was only one day away, but the holiday felt like it had slapped the young vampire (forever seventeen) in the face, creeping up behind her. Caroline had eternity but sometimes it felt like life was flying by her and she was going to miss all of the important experiences in life.

Finally, when the sheriff drove off (in her work car…naturally) leaving promises to not get into "too much" trouble, Caroline ran to her phone to call Tyler, who was already on his way.

"So…for her first Christmas as a vampire you are giving Elena a notebook?" the dark featured, nearly Romanesque hybrid questioned his vampire counterpart, who was sitting on the floor across from him.

With a gasp in feigned offense, Caroline took the rust colored book from his hands and held it close to her heart.

"This is not just any notebook Tyler." She presented the notebook to him like Vanna White from Wheel of Fortune, "This is a moleskin notebook for only the most serious of writers!"  
She couldn't hold back the valiant smile of pride while she placed it on the blue and white Frosty the Snowman wrapping paper and began to fold it's edges accordingly.

Tyler laughed with her as he ran his fingers through his chocolate colored locks, tossing his other in the air in exasperation. Most men, as Caroline knew, were experts at wrapping gifts, but it seemed as tough Tyler was all thumbs in the "art".

"Do you need help with that?" she pointed to the incense holder sloppily wrapped with a mess of tape, and the whites showing where it was folded over.

"Yeah…I have no idea what I'm doing." He grinned sheepishly, gently sliding his creation over to her like a dog passing back the torn up newspaper.

Quickly and without a problem, Caroline fixed the paper and proudly placed it under the Christmas tree while smoothing out the paper once more, along with the pile of other presents that had assorted (in a highly organized fashion) prints and colors.  
The couple continued wrapping gifts in silence, (they rarely needed to have a conversation anymore to enjoy each other's company) besides Caroline's abrupt directives on showing Tyler how to wrap her friend's and mom's gifts as she breezed through the other half.

"So Tyler…" Caroline broke the silence along with the sound of crinkling paper and pulling tape after she had gathered her thoughts on what she realized earlier that day.

"What's up Caroline?" Sometimes, when Tyler was beginning to feel frustrated with something he was having difficulty with, he would catch this "holier than thou" tone, which always drove the vampire insane, but she knew it was just his way of deflecting (when it wasn't driving her crazy, she found it kind of adorable).

"Have you thought about where you want to go to school?"

Since returning to his own body, Tyler and Caroline preferred to live in the "now" rather than think too far ahead, this town had cursed them with fear, but with the second semester coming up, she had to ask.

"I don't know." He shrugged, "I haven't really thought about it."

"Well…I did." She replied sharply as she placed the last gift under the tree. "We should leave." The words came out quicker than intended; she had planned out this long speech that would help ease over the "talk" but all of that went out the window in the spur of the moment, and Tyler reacted accordingly. Usually he kept his expression cold (besides when around her), but he raised a pointed eyebrow and cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

"What about your friends?" he mirrored her thoughts well, knowing that Caroline wouldn't want to just up and leave.

"I'm saying go away for school Tyler, not run away and join the circus!" Though the idea of what they could accomplish in a circus act could be amusing, Caroline whined and grabbed his hand while beaming as if she had this all planned out. "Wouldn't it be nice to get away for a while? Or even better, only have to deal with it by choice? We can skype with everyone back home and visit whenever!"

She was practically jumping out of excitement now, "It could be perfect!"

Of course she had an ulterior motive (when didn't she?), getting away from Mystic Falls meant leaving her friends, which she didn't want to do, but most importantly it would mean getting Tyler away from Klaus, who was like a mob boss trying to control her boyfriend.

Was it so wrong to want to live a life of peace? For his safety she would leave if this is what needed to be done.

"Well…I did apply to Duke…"

Clapping with glee, Caroline grabbed his hand. Tyler had inadvertently set her master plan in motion and that would make everything so much easier.

"See? We can do this!" she cheered, hopping to her feet and bringing him up with her for a much-needed kiss. It was as if he had read her mind, feeling just as tired as she was about the things happening in their life.

Their life, and really it was just beginning.


End file.
